Page 22 of The Hideout

“You know what, you’re right. I only see good things happening with The Hideout, and that comes down to your dedication. The place would be closed if you hadn’t taken it over, and then we never would have met.”

“I, for one, am very happy that we met.”

Paige licked chocolate sauce from her finger, disposing of her tray in a nearby bin. “Me, too.”

“So, about that contract I mentioned?”

“Still mulling it over. But I will let you know soon if that’s okay?”

Juliet held up a hand. “No rush at all.”

“I don’t want to leave you hanging for too long. I hope you know that’s not my intention. I’m just not sure what’s what with me at the moment. But if I can be sure that The Hideout is the place for me, I’d love to stick around. I really would.”

“Then I can’t ask for anything more right now. Just let me know, okay?”

“I will.” Paige nudged Juliet’s shoulder and smiled. “Hey, thanks for inviting me here today. I’ve had a great time.”

“Thank you for coming with me. It’s not often I have someone to spend the afternoon with. It’s been lovely.”

Paige quirked a brow. “Fancy it again some other time?”

Juliet’s chest expanded as Paige asked that. Unless it was Rachel, people rarely gave Juliet the time of day. “Yes. Let’s make that a plan.”

Chapter 7

GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE TIME

Paige was feeling good tonight. Positive. She hadn’t heard back from James, she felt as though something had shifted within her, and she was determined to make it count here at The Hideout. It seemed to have formed too perfectly for her to consider any other alternative. Juliet wanted to offer her a six-month contract; Paige would be out of her mind to turn it down. Still, she had to be sure she was making the right decision. She didn’t want to burn her bridges here with Juliet when James eventually showed up.

She sat perched on a barstool, making notes in the small handbook she carried everywhere with her. It had been a late night last night, Paige sitting up until almost sunrise scouring the internet for new recipes to introduce at Juliet’s bar. She wasn’t quite ready to showcase them, especially not to Juliet, but her moment would arrive.

And when it did, she hoped Juliet would be impressed.

“Paige?” Juliet poked her head around the door that led to the back of the building. Her long dark hair shone against the spotlights, pairing beautifully with the ambient lighting down in the underground bar. “Do you have a minute?”

Paige set her pen down. “Sure.”

“I wasn’t planning on this just yet, but I think I’ve found another bartender to bring into the team.”

Okay, but why? Paige wanted to ask, refraining from doing so. This was Juliet’s bar; she had the final say in what went on there. “Have I fucked up?”

“What? No.” Juliet smiled, approaching Paige at the bar. “Far from it. But six nights a week is a lot, Paige. I’m no bartender; I don’t know the first thing about the various drinks we have to offer. But you do. As does the bartender I have coming in today to meet with us.”

“Six nights a week doesn’t bother me. It’s not like I have anything else to do.” If Juliet was trying to let Paige down gently, it was time to look for something else. She didn’t need to sit at home staring at the walls. What she needed was to be working.

“Still, it’s a lot. She’s also worked in bar management, so if I need a night off, she can be here to take care of stuff.”

Paige would let it lie. Unless Juliet reduced her shifts dramatically, she wouldn’t worry herself too much. What was the point? She had a job, and that was the main thing.

“I get it. You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I look forward to meeting her.” Paige smiled, picking her pen back up. But Juliet remained in front of her, watching her. “Was there…something else?”

“N-no.” Juliet shook her head, lowering her eyes. But then she opened her mouth to speak, her shoulders sagging slightly. “It’s just… Would you like to get a drink together sometime?”

If Paige hadn’t been sitting on a stool with a backrest, she’d have fallen off it. “Pardon? A…drink?”

“Yes. Not here. Maybe somewhere quiet, somewhere that we can talk and get to know one another.”

“W-what is it that you want to know?” Paige frowned. Juliet asking her out for a drink surely wasn’t meant the way Paige perceived it. Was it?

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